STORIES
From urgent investigations and breaking news to bold op-eds by global leaders, we bring you the stories shaping the lives of women and girls worldwide.
A Deadline for the World to Act on Women’s Rights
A looming U.N. deadline is testing whether governments will act on the systematic repression of women—or let it stand, write the directors of the Women’s Rights Division at Human Rights Watch.
Behind Closed Doors, Millions of Girls Are Working Instead of Learning
Across Africa, child domestic work remains one of the most invisible forms of exploitation faced by girls.
I Survived the Modeling Industry. The Epstein Files Should Expose It.
What happened to me as a teenage model was part of a system that funneled young women toward men like Jeffrey Epstein, writes Sara Ziff.
At the U.N.’s Annual Meeting on Women, the World Should Focus on Justice for Girls
As governments gather at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, they should prioritize ensuring that girls can access justice, writes Katherine la Puente of Human Rights Watch.
Egyptian Women Are Still Being Asked to Prove Their Virginity
In the wake of a former Egyptian MP’s call for mandatory “virginity tests” for female university students, the controversy has exposed a deeper reality: the enduring need to assert control over women’s bodies.
Girls and Young Women Are Key to Ukraine’s Recovery
As Ukraine enters its fifth year of war, the country’s recovery will depend on whether today’s girls and young women are given the support, skills and power to lead its rebuilding.
When a Regime Erases Women, the World Must Call It a Crime
Marzieh Hamidi, recipient of the 2026 International Women’s Rights Award at the Geneva Summit, argues the world must recognize gender apartheid as a crime under international law. Photo: CNN
FGM Laws Protect Girls. Who Heals the Women?
Ending female genital mutilation is about more than criminalization—it requires care, choice, and long-term support for the millions of women already living with its consequences. Photo: UNDP
The Vanishing Coverage of Women’s Lives Is a Policy Risk
When women’s stories disappear, so does the clearest record of truth, justice, and whether human rights truly exist.
They Called It Socialism. We Lived a Dictatorship.
From Caracas to Tehran, the people fighting for freedom are asking the same thing: stop protecting our dictators and start listening to those who live under them.
As Iranians Rise Up, the World is Silent
Iran’s latest uprising reveals a stark gap between the courage of its people and the response of the international community, writes Marzieh Hamidi.
What Is a Shadow Report, and Why Does It Matter So Much for American Women?
Once a tool of last resort for women living under authoritarian regimes, shadow reports are now turning the lens inward—on American democracy. Photo: Oleksandr Voloshynskyi
The Geopolitics of Aid Cuts Are Reshaping Women’s Safety Across the Middle East and North Africa
With Western support receding, MENA’s women-led organizations are being pushed to the brink and rewriting their own playbook for survival. More to Her Story sits down with five women leaders from across the region. Photo: Alexander Farnsworth
We Know the Development Finance System is Broken for Girls. Here’s a Blueprint to Fix It.
When we fund outcomes for girls, we don’t just save lives — we reshape a continent’s trajectory, write the leaders of FP2030 and Tiko.
The Office of Global Women’s Issues is Gone. America is Less Safe Because of it.
Eliminating the State Department office that implemented the bipartisan Women, Peace, and Security Act didn’t save money; it erased decades of expertise that made the U.S. and its allies safer. Photo: U.S. Department of State
I’m a Refugee Woman. I’ve Seen the Power of Girls’ Education.
In her op-ed, UN Goodwill Ambassador Mary Maker reflects on how one girl’s education can ignite change for generations.
The Women of Gaza Remind Us That Hope Is a Daily Act
Beyond the ceasefire, Gaza’s women are rebuilding daily life—one meal, one classroom, one act of hope at a time.
To Rebuild Syria, Start With Women
As Syria rebuilds, lasting peace depends on whether women are given the power to shape it. Photo: Women for Women International
Obstetric Violence Is Gender-Based Violence. It’s Time the Law Recognized It.
Just as the fight against domestic violence changed laws and lives, the same clarity is needed on obstetric violence: it is abuse, writes the executive director of the Women's Rights Division of Human Rights Watch. Photo: UN Women
A Better World for Girls Begins With Raising Boys Who Believe in One
True progress demands that we also invest in boys, writes Room to Read’s Director of Girls’ Education and Gender Equality in South Asia.